Xaldin/Dilan
Xaldin, the ''Whirlwind Lancer (旋風の六槍, ''Senpū no Rokusō lit. Six Lances of the Whirlwind), is the Nobody of Dilan and is Rank III within Organization XIII. He controls wind, and uses his power over the air to freely manipulate his six lances without holding them directly. He commands the Dragoon Nobodies, and has the second highest throne among the Organization. Xaldin appears in Kingdom Hearts II as a villain in Beast's Castle, and spends his time in the game attempting to plunge Beast into despair in the hopes of separating his heart from his body. Xaldin is a playable character in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days's Mission Mode. Story Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Dilan appears with Aeleus, both guarding Ansem's castle in Radiant Garden. Ventus first encounters them while he is looking for Mickey Mouse, but they refuse to let him in saying that castle is closed. Dilan suggest that Ven should go home before the monsters get him. Aeleus then spots an Unversed, and both guards are about to charge. Ventus chases it, despite the guards protests. Both were about to join Ven, but Even comes and openly wonders what will become of the castle if they leave. Aeleus and Even begin to argue, but Dilan reminds Aeleus that the castle comes first and both resume their watch. letting Ven take care of the Unversed. Later, Braig brings Dilan and Ansem to an amnesic Terra, along with the Keyblade and armor of a Keyblade wielder. Terra can only remember his possessor's name: Xehanort. While Braig takes Xehanort to the castle, Dilan carries the armor and Keyblade for Braig. At the end credits, Dilan is seen throwing Lea and Isa out of the castle. Between Kingdom Hearts Birth b Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days About a decade prior to Kingdom Hearts, Dilan was still one of six apprentices to the ruler and scientist of Radiant Garden, Ansem the Wise, alongside Braig, Even, Aeleus, Ienzo, and Xehanort. Worried the Darkness in people's hearts would eventually consume his world, Ansem began performing tests on Xehanort's heart. Eventually, he created a laboratory in his castle's basement for such experimentation, by the urging of Ienzo. However, Dilan and the other apprentices had their own intentions for the laboratory, and began conducting inhumane experiments on the human heart and the darkness within it. Such experimentation led to the creation of Heartless. Ansem quickly discovered their secret experiments, and immediately ordered them to stop. One day, after being advised to review their research data by King Mickey, Ansem found that the effects of their experiments had become irreversible. Eventually, Dilan and the other five apprentices dabbled too deep into darkness through their continued experiments. Dilan, along with the others, was consumed by the darkness, producing a Heartless. However, the apprentices all had strong wills, and so Dilan also became his Nobody, Xaldin. The six Nobodies formed Organization XIII, and banished Ansem the Wise to the Realm of Nothingness. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Xaldin plays a minor role in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Present when Xion joined Organization XIII, he aided Roxas on various missions, particularly to Beast's Castle. It was on one of these missions that Xaldin witnessed the Beast's power, the quest in Kingdom Hearts II to obtain the Beast's Heartless and Nobody beginning at this point. Xaldin's plan grew during the continuous visits to the castle, as he learned the strong connections between the Beast, his rose, and the only human in the castle, Belle. He deemed that it was a spell that made the Beast what he was, and the rose and Belle were important to the breaking of this spell. Xaldin decided to use this to his advantage and his plan began. Kingdom Hearts II Xaldin appears with Xemnas, Saïx, Xigbar, Luxord, and Demyx at Hollow Bastion standing at the right of Xemnas. All he does in the confrontation is laugh emptily with the rest of the group at Xemnas's empty humor. Xaldin's first major appearance in the game is as a cloaked and hooded figure during Sora's first visit to Beast's Castle. At this time, Xaldin has already drained Beast of much of his hope and kindness by convincing him that Belle is plotting against him. Beast is unresponsive to Sora, Donald and Goofy when they first greet him, despite having met them before in Kingdom Hearts at Hollow Bastion. Xaldin's slippery words cause Beast to lock himself in his chambers and refuse contact with them or Belle. Sora, fighting his way through the Heartless that have settled into the castle, eventually reaches Beast's bedroom. Xaldin tells Beast that Sora and his party are only there to help Belle against Beast, and that she has sent them to steal the rose symbolizing his curse from him with the intention of eventually taking his life. Beast, still under Xaldin's influence, attacks Sora as Xaldin flees, but Sora is able to bring Beast back to his senses. When Sora and Beast head downstairs into the ballroom, they encounter the Shadow Stalker Heartless, which attacks them. After being defeated, it evolves into the large Dark Thorn, but that too is no match for Sora, and is destroyed. Xaldin leaves the area without actually fighting them himself, stating that it wasn't over, but continues to lurk in the world until Sora returns. Xaldin strikes again when Sora returns to Beast's Castle to find Belle and Beast having a private dance party. He captures Beast's rose and flaunts it in front of Beast, who goes into a rage and pursues Xaldin around his castle. Before Xaldin seems to disappear from the world entirely, he mocks Beast, taking off his hood and resolving to separate Beast's heart from him and take control of his Heartless and his Nobody. In Beast's anger, he rages at Belle for insisting on having the party. Despaired over the loss of his rose and his own beastly state, Beast orders Belle to leave the castle. Belle shuts herself in her room, confining herself to looking out on the balcony. There she finds Beast's rose, and gladly signals to Sora from the balcony. The rose is just a trap, however, and Xaldin appears behind her, kidnapping her as well as retaking the rose. Xaldin flies down in front of Beast in his courtyard, taunting him by saying he can only carry either the rose or Belle along with him, and forcing Beast to choose which one he wants him to leave behind. Before Beast has time to choose, however, Belle elbows Xaldin in the side and grabs the rose, taking the time from Xaldin's surprise to escape his grasp. Beast then attacks Xaldin, who leaps aside and conjures six long spears using his powers over wind. He battles Sora and Beast on the bridge, using his abilities to the fullest, but is eventually defeated, and fades back into the darkness. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix Xaldin appears in some of the additional Organization XIII cutscenes included in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. He is present when Axel is ordered to eliminate Roxas after it is clear that Roxas has no intention of returning to the Organization, driving the order home by sending one of his lances into the backrest of Axel's chair, inches from his head. He is also present at a later meeting, breaking up an argument between Xigbar and Demyx, much to Luxord's disappointment. Role in Ultima In Ultima, Xaldin, now renamed Dilan, is a member of the Society alongside the other former members of Organization XIII. When he was resurrected, Axel/Lea told him and the others that Xemnas was not planning on giving them back their hearts and was just using them to turn them all into vessels for Master Xehanort's heart in order to form the 13 seekers of darkness. Naturally, Dilan was furious, and joined the Society as a member of their Elite Guard, the Sentinels, as a means of getting back at Xemnas. Category:Protagonists Category:Organization XIII Category:Society